Rivyn went upstairs to the next floor. And immediately after that, the surroundings changed: the walls rose above him to unimaginable height, casting long shadows down the narrow corridors in front of him. A labyrinth, a maze. It seemed as though the tower felt the growing desperation of Rivyn, that the minutes becoming hours and the hours which grew into days took on an unreal and brain-shattering pressure, and created it.
Rivyn stared, disbelieving, at everything around him. No maze was like this, for he could feel the magic on the walls, enchanting and evil. It wasn't about getting out, for deep inside he knew something darker, something dangerous, too, lay inside these confines. And the moments ticked by, the urgency felt so real, as with every second being squandered, he found himself closer to failure in his quest.
Doomsday's upon us.I don't have time for this.
His mind was racing, yet he clearly understood freaking out would get him nowhere. He made himself relax and consider the situation soberly. This wasn't some maze in which one would walk. He had to be smart and calculating.
Rivyn sat in his thoughts, going over his repertoire of skills in his head, but soon realized that none of these would help him against such a twisted problem. He wanted more-something to give him an edge. Rivyn's gaze turned to the system shop and began to scan down the list of skills on display.
One particular skill sounded quite befitting of his predicament, and his eyes fell upon it:
[Navigation (F): Creates a mental map of your environment and highlights the best path to follow. Range: 30 meters.]
That was his only choice. It wasn't perfect-30 meters barely gave enough to get across the whole of a maze, but it was much better than trying to move around in the dark. The 20 system points it needed were all he had, and he had no choice but to spend them.
[Would you like to purchase Navigation (F)? YES/NO]
"Yes," Rivyn had whispered, and there was immediately that strange feeling that swept through his mind-a map, really-of his immediate surroundings, within a radius of 30 meters. The passageways ahead lit up, like veins in a body, in a faint glow that showed him which turns would lead him into dead-ends and which could carry him deeper.
It was not much, but at least it was something.
He did a runner.
This was orders of magnitude greater than Rivyn had expected; every few minutes, this map would reveal a whole lot of new twists, dead ends, and occasionally even the paths which folded neatly back on themselves, placing him in the same place. With the very rudimentary help from the system navigation, Rivyn found himself having to backtrack a lot more often than he would have liked. As Rivyn moved further into the maze, the mental map kept refreshing itself continuously, folding and reforming with each movement.
The surroundings were uncanny: tall walls, cold, dark shade, and everything inimical. The walls were of smooth stone, it is true, but they coursed with life as though alive. Instinctively, he felt that behind the tranquil face of stone, danger was brooding, and at any moment something might jump from the walls and attack him. He did not dare remain off his guard. The more hours passed, the more frustrated Rivyn felt-his head was finally clear, and because of that, he was making fewer mistakes, but this was far too slow. He now fully realized how big this maze really was, endless paths and equally endless windings fraught with danger. With every further step, he could literally feel the relentless pressure of the time limit weighing in upon him in this quest.
"I've got to hurry. there simply is no more time to lose."
His heartbeat quickened, and even with his expertise to aid him, it slowly dawned on him that his maze was not of a kind to be so easily surmounted. He guessed the traps would soon appear; a tower seriously inclined to test his limit would hardly restrict itself to a maze.
Then, as if to confirm his suspicions, the first trap appeared.
Snap! A sudden pressure beneath his feet fired Rivyn's instincts, and he leaped to the side just in time as a row of spikes erupted from the ground, barely avoiding him. Glittering with grim light in the semidarkness, Rivyn's heart was racing by how lethal they could be-a wrong step and that might have been it.
"Traps." he muttered.
He was not so reckless thereafter. The deeper inside one went, the more frequent and hazardous traps became. Some of these were extremely ingenious, such as hidden plates with swinging blades, invisible tripwires which would rain arrows from the walls, yawning pits opening underfoot and able to swallow one right up to one's last hair. Yet Rivyn was not slow on his feet. Reflexes honed in countless battles allowed him to survive.
Every trap became an escape, a dance with the cat in the most dangerous style, leaving him panting but unharmed. In truth, it wasn't until he rose to the 86th floor that the maze proved to be an even greater barrier. Now, huge beasts stood in the way, too. They were golems-giant, unstoppable creatures with enormous muscle mass. These creatures often blocked a passageway so that Rivyn had to either fight his way out or take another route. Sometimes his navigation allowed him to avoid some of the golems, but often there was just no other choice but to stand and fight.
Fearsome opponents, their bodies of stone all but indestructible, Rivyn would have to use every last vestige of strength and speed he possessed just to try and wear them down. His sword rang against the hard planes of their body, sparks flying as he swung and swung in a desperate search for some weak point within their sturdy form. Finally, he made a discovery: if he could strike at their joints, the stone there was thinner, more fragile.
One by one, he knocked them out; in each fight, though, he felt his strength lost and knew well that he couldn't stand this maddening rhythm.
Yet upstairs on each successive floor, those beasts continued simply to breed.
And in an instant, on the 90th floor, over 200 golems appeared before him. From the mental map, this was an unthinkable horde of enemies; his heartbeat stopped in that instant, clasped by the cold hand of fear.
"Two hundred golems. I cannot fight them all at once, let alone."
He was fighting in a fury: the great-sword no more than a blur as he cut down golem after golem. Still, there were thousands in front of him, and Rivyn could feel weariness pulling hard at his bones. His sword was heavier with every swing, his actions slower and more deliberate.
He danced around and between the golems, his agility being the only hope against the power of their blows. Each time he brought one down, another took its place, and the battle just seemed endless. His body screamed for rest; his mind did no less. Yet, he could not yield. He had to go on.
So close. Point of no return.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the end of the 90th floor-his clothes in tatters, bruises and blood splotched against his body, he made it. A great wave of relief enveloped him, the first time he stopped himself or paused to breathe since he'd first entered the maze.
He knew he wasn't far from the breaking point, yet he couldn't afford to waste much time resting. The clock was still ticking, and he only had 12 hours remaining to reach the 100th floor.
He had taken a half-an-hour break-no more, just enough to recover some strength-and pressed on. But the burning fire in his heart was greater than ever; it was just not the time to retreat.
The 91st floor was something different from what he had seen so far.
He stood in the middle of an enormous colosseum, the walls rising upwards well beyond any height that could quite be comprehended; full grandstands, keening and screaming spectators-thousands of them-their voices deafeningly fervent. Many beings were less than human, let alone grotesque shapes undulating in the pale light. It was transition into this world, virtually passage through some sort of portal, it seemed.
What is this.?
Little time did he have to take stock when there resounded a loud groaning right across the colosseum: a large iron gate, right opposite, now swung open. A giant figure came out of the dark-a dark purple-skinned demon shining in the light. Part of one of his horns was broken, to add to the mean-looking, battle-hardened feature. The place erupted in ringing applause as he stepped right into the arena, regarding Rivyn through a stare meant for a predator.
Suddenly, the demon lunged forward.
Rivyn instinctively took over, unsheathing his great sword and facing the demon in an instant. A great rumbling took place in that arena, as in a storm-the metal clashing with flesh, the rubble of their strengths vibrating the surroundings. Rivyn could tell straight away that this demon was different from anyone he had ever fought against; it was some strong creature, much stronger compared to those monsters that roamed in the maze.
Yet Rivyn was not one to quail.
He sprang backward, putting distance between himself and the demon. In an instant, he pulled up his system screen and spent his unspent stat points, giving himself a considerable boost in strength and agility in the hope of evening the odds.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
Level - 75
Strength - 195
Agility - 155
Defense - 150
Mana - 125
Unallocated Stats - 15
He assigned 10 points to strength and 5 points to agility, and suddenly his body was filled with vigor.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
Level - 75
Strength - 205
Agility - 160
Defense - 150
Mana - 125
Unallocated Stats - 0
Rivyn plunged at once with fresh strength upon the demon. Then one could see the difference in their strengths: his blade cut the demon's defenses as if for fun, and in no time, the demon was stretched on the ground defeated.
The crowd's cheers swiftly transformed into boos, yet Rivyn remained unfazed. His sole focus was on navigating this floor and progressing onward.
Rivyn paid no mind to the catcalls ringing across the stands as the giant demon fell before him. Dark blood trickled out between the breaks of the colosseum floor, discoloring the stone beneath it. He was standing prepared, the great sword still clutched in his hands, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The flush of triumph which then swept through him was tempered by relentless will-whipped and hardened to press onward.
Every second counted, and while the system gave him some reprieve with the level-ups, he knew time was working against him.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
That all-too-familiar chime echoed within his head and mingled well with the surge of power coursing through his limbs; his body felt the surge of vitality run riot, as if every single strand had come alive once again. The system window then pops up before him, and through the chilly, red-colored texts, he could see his status. Rivyn cast a quick glance, his anticipation high as he tried to estimate the progress of his stats:
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 77]
[Strength - 207]
[Agility - 162]
[Defense - 152]
[Mana - 127]
[Unallocated Stats - 6]
Rivyn decided he wasn't going to spend another second and distributed his new points right that very moment. His mind was razor-sharp and clear on just where this strength should go. He placed all 6 into Defense-the durability and resilience would indeed prove quite necessary through trials beyond his wildest imagination. If these demons were anything to go by, then the further floors would bring only stronger foes, and he needed to be prepared for anything.
His updated stats flickered into place:
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 77]
[Strength - 207]
[Agility - 162]
[Defense - 158]
[Mana - 127]
[Unallocated Stats - 0]
More so, even, his body felt denser; muscles and bones firmer. Bitterly, he smiled and shook his head. "The world really is against me crafting," he said with a low tone. This was the second time trials of the tower managed to get in the way of his life as a craftsman; he still misses the serenity of his workshop, but right now survival mattered.
Just as Rivyn was about to let out a sigh of relief, the huge iron door at the far end of the colosseum groaned open once more. Another demon emerged, this time with a slight twist from the last-his form still held onto the dark, forbidding purple color, though this time his skin seemed much thicker, resilient.
Its eyes seared with a deeper, almost feral hatred now, and in its hand, it clutched a very long, gnarled spear pulsing with some sort of vicious energy.
Rivyn tensed, his greatsword clutched more tightly. He was hurting all over from the damn near endless fighting, and he couldn't afford to slacken. This one was a little stronger than the last, but nothing new otherwise. He readied himself for when it would roar and plunge toward him, spear aimed dead on for his chest.
He barely avoided the strike, feeling the edge of the spear razor past his armor as he brought his sword crashing down in an all-powerful swing, cutting across the torso of the demon. It let out a withered scream-the cut was deep, though not quite enough in severity of wound to end the fight. In revenge, it swept its spear in a wide arc, forcing Rivyn to spring backward and reassess.
He danced around the demon, his mind working as he searched out some sort of opening. The crowd continued to catcall and boo, but Rivyn paid them no mind. He had fought foes far more perilous than this one, and even now, as it was starting to wear, it was experience that kept him alive. The demon dove once more, its spear crackling with dark energy as it thrust toward Rivyn's head.
This time Rivyn was ready: in an instant, he deflected the spear aside, closing the distance between them, and in that instant plunged his greatsword deep within the beast's chest-the blade lodging in its flesh with a sickly crunch. The demon's eyes went wide with surprise as backward it reeled, clutching at the wound.
Rivyn pulled his sword free, a fountain of blood spraying onto the ground as the demon fell to its knees. One more strike, and it would all be over. Rivyn didn't falter; his sword swung in a clean arc, striking the demon's head clean from its shoulders with one blow. The head rolled to the floor, the boos dying off as it was pretty clear the fight was over.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
Rivyn huffed heavily as the now-familiar notification flashed before him. His body screamed in protest, every member heavy with exhaustion, but he had to keep going. He simply couldn't take a break-not with that ceaseless countdown approaching its end. The system granted him only a few precious moments of rest, and even those were inadequate. Without warning, the arena shifted once more and dropped him onto the 92nd floor. A pattern was crystallizing in his brain-that at each new higher level, the opponents got tougher, yet still somewhat manageable. So far.
From the darkness stepped another demon, greater in scale than before, his eyes seeming to blaze bright red with malice, and in his hands this time were two huge axes, oozing some sort of noxious blackness. Rivyn's heart pounded against his chest, though he did not retreat a single step. He had faced worse. He had endured worse.
This was a different demon altogether, moving far quicker than any of the others had. The instant the fight had begun, this creature launched into a maddening flurry of blows, both axes flashing in the dim light toward Rivyn. Barely, he had time to react, blocking one axe and narrowly dodging the other. Each strike was strong, and Rivyn's arms shook with every hit.
He gritted his teeth, focusing on each of the movements of the demon. He knew he couldn't afford to get anything wrong now, not when victory was this close. A step in the wrong direction, and those axes would rip him to shreds.
With a sudden surge of speed, Rivyn streaked forward, and the gap was almost nonexistent. Swinging his great sword with all his might, Rivyn tried to reach the exposed flank of the creature. The blade bit deep, tearing through the thick hide of the demon. There was a deafening roar of pain, but his pace never faltered. The demon retaliated and brought both axes down in a mighty over-the-head swing.
Rivyn barely dodged them, flipping to his side with barely enough time for the axes to cleave into the ground where he had been balancing. In the same instant, he launched himself forward, driving his sword deep into the demon's back as it regained its balance. It let out one final, chilling scream before it went down to the earth.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
Rivyn breathed a sigh of relief as the body of the demon vanished, finally leaving him alone in this blood-soaked arena. His head was foggy due to exhaustion, his muscles screaming in pain. Finally, it was as if he did something right: the system rewards continued to grow, and he could feel it-each opened floor made him stronger.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 93]
[Strength - 223]
[Agility - 178]
[Defense - 168]
[Mana - 143]
[Unallocated Stats - 48]
At the last Colosseum challenge, Rivyn stops to distribute his stats. The demons get more robust, and he has to ready himself against what lies ahead. He puts 12 in every attribute, focusing with intent to make sure strength, agility, defense, and mana are nicely balanced.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 93]
[Strength - 235]
[Agility - 190]
[Defense - 180]
[Mana - 155]
[Unallocated Stats - 0]
The last one stepped from the back, and Rivyn immediately could tell this one was different from all the rest: his whole body as black as night, towering over him, pure malice exuding from every pore. This differed from all the others which showed up since it held an enormous axe smeared with blood, much more threatening than anything Rivyn had so far faced. Rivyn's instincts were screaming for caution; this was an entirely different class of demon altogether.
Rivyn felt the appearance of the last demon go through him like a shiver. Of course, it was huge-to say that it towered over the others he fought is to put it mildly. Its jet-black skin glittered under the shadeless light of the colosseum; its eyes blew bright with deep crimson, dripping malevolence.
The axe, stained with blood, was clutched in the demon's hand-too big for any living being to carry-yet he was swinging the formidable weapon with all the abandon of one who handles balsa. Rivyn distinctly felt the strained atmosphere; some signal was being relayed via the demon's implement-a clear omen this was not an opponent to be taken light.
The onlookers fell into an uneasy silence, a crowd that had hitherto been boisterous and filled with catcalls and jeers. It was as if they somehow knew what lay in store with this duel. Rivyn hefted his great sword higher, his muscles flexing into tension as his every instinct screamed for vigilance. Rivyn had faced many adversaries earlier, but this one was no ordinary demon.
The demon's eyes settled upon Rivyn, and contorted lips curved an evil, misshapen smile. The huge axe was up and charging in but an instant-much faster than Rivyn had expected for one so large. The earth shook beneath the heavy footfalls of the demon, and the force of its charge whirled the air before it up toward Rivyn.
Rivyn steeled himself, his greatsword up to meet the oncoming assault. The demon, with strength as terrible as his malevolent presence, finally swung his axe down; the blade whistled on its path. In time, Rivyn managed to barely deflect it as his sword crashed against the axe, sending flying sparks. The impact was jolting, and Rivyn's arms shook from the overwhelming force of the strike.
His feet slid backward on the cold stone as he strained against the pull; yet still he kept his place. This was a demon monstrous in its strength—more than he had ever pulled against. Rivyn strained hard to get his feet once more.
The demon roared in the air, taken aback that Rivyn had survived its initial attack. The axe was drawn back and swung once more with pitiless power. Rivyn made no effort to stop this as he had the first. He crouched low, beneath the circular path of the weapon, and the blade whipped past his head, little more than a few inches from him, actually cutting the wind enough in its swing that it ruffled his hair as it barely cleared him.
Rivyn counterattacked in a flash, plunging his greatsword deep into the demon's vulnerable side. His blade bit true, lodging within the beast's flesh, but not quite as deep as he had expected. Its skin was far tougher than it should be, and for all his enhanced might, it was like trying to hew through granite.
The demon snarled through its pain but did not flag. It wrestled with its body for the momentum of movement to enable it to swing the axe a second time. Rivyn quickly released his sword and jumped backward, barely dodging that counterattack. Rivyn started to pant, with beads of sweat falling from his forehead. The stamina of the demon was as wide as its strength; Rivyn knew he should be more careful. One wrong move, and that axe would send him into eternity.
Murmurs above them began once more, laced with anticipation. Yes, a very rare sight-to see an opponent stand his ground against such a monster of a demon. But Rivyn did not want to entertain them. He needed to finish this, and fast.
Just as the demon heaved its axe for yet another felling blow, Rivyn noticed something important. Though ferocious, the beast was strikingly predictable. It relied entirely on brute strength to overpower him, but there were gaps in its attack-small windows of opportunity which Rivyn could avail himself of if he timed it just right.
Rivyn evened his breathing, focusing all his senses on the rhythm of the demon. He watched it bring its axe down-a determined vertical strike. In the final second, Rivyn neatly sidestepped and allowed the axe to strike the ground where he'd just been standing. The air shook with it, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the stone floor; Rivyn by then was long since gone.
Launching himself forward before the demon pulled its arm back, Rivyn was going for its legs. His great sword bit deep into the knee of the demon and this time cut through flesh resistant to his blade. Screaming in pain, the demon stumbled, trying to maintain his balance. An instant later, Rivyn struck again, this time at the demon's arm; his blow landed this time, though the demon still managed to block part of the strike with his free hand. It was beginning to be clear that Rivyn's blows were telling on it now, for the thing, near impervious a little while since, bled from several cuts and its motions were slowing, laboured now.
But it wasn't done yet. In a snarling horizontal arc, the demon swung its axe furiously wild. Barely in time to duck, Rivyn barely had time to react or else lose his head. The swing was hard enough its resulting shock wave sent him reeling backward. Eyes aflame with fury, Rivyn knew the demon was desperately seeking a blow that would finish him.
Summoning his last reserves of strength, Rivyn charged again against the demon. He struck this time squarely for the demon's heart. As the demon heaved his axe back, starting a whole new swing, Rivyn dodged to the side and swung his heavy sword with all his might into its chest.
It went deep into his ash-grey flesh until it finally reached his heart. The demon's eyes had gone wide in his incredulity, his body shaking, blood welling from the gaping wound. He made one last, despairing try at raising his axe, but his strength was failing him fast. A last, raucous breath escaped his lips, and the demon fell to the ground, defeated.
The boos and cheers rose together into a cacophony. Neither did a thing for Rivyn, though. His entire body shrieked protest, his muscles screaming. But it was done now, the final demon defeated.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
Rivyn breathed out hard, his whole body finally relaxing as the system notifications sprang to life. This recharge of his wounds, healing themselves, was like the raw energy of the system's magic filling him. What tatters still clung to him were now remade, professionally mended by whatever force the tower was using. He looked down at himself, armor and sword gleaming as if they had never seen the inside of a fight.
The Colosseum around him began to dissolve and the audience disappeared into nothingness as the familiar system message appeared in front of his eyes: You have cleared the tower.
[You have cleared the tower. Would you like to leave? Yes/No]
Rivyn watched the message glow before him in mid-air, a feeling of relief washing over him. He'd done it, he'd reached the 100th floor, and with hours to spare. Yet, the longer he stood there, the more his mind turned to the outside world. What had happened with all those he had left behind? What of the empire? What of everything he once knew? The attachment he had thought he would feel, he had not. He had no family, no friends waiting for him to get back home. First, it was the innumerable deaths in the white space and then battles upon battles in this very tower.
Rivyn let out a deep breath, his hand hovering over the "Yes" option. Somehow, a part of him felt closure with it. It ends here. My journey has brought me here, atop the tower.
The system had promised answers-answers as to Argartha, though he didn't know what Argartha was, he hoped it would be useful to him. That was what he needed now: the answers to everything. With one last breath, Rivyn pressed "Yes." And then the world went bright around him until it had melted and Rivyn was free for the first time in what felt like forever.